On June 2nd about 20 members went for an Away Day at the Sisters of St. Andrew’s Convent in Blackheath.

It was a beautiful and quiet setting for our time worshipping and reflecting together. Rev Andy Lyons led us in thinking about the story of the Emmaus Road; we shared our own stories of our journeys’; we broke bread together in a ‘bring and share’ lunch and in Holy Communion. On the 20th May – Pentecost Sunday - we brought into membership two new members which was a great joy. Several of our young people are now regularly attending the Circuit Youth Fellowship and enjoying it very much. We welcomed members of the Circuit meeting on July 5th.

Much of our focus remains on the redevelopment scheme and we continue to pray that all will work out in the longer run.

On June 2nd 2018, the Church is going on an Away Day together. We plan to share and tell stories about our lives and the life of the Church. We are soon, as long as planning permission is granted, to see our building demolished and we will have a period of using temporary accommodation. It is important for us to be well informed about each other, to stay in touch and keep the fellowship together during that time. Whilst we are in temporary accommodation we will need to give considerable thought to how we best utilize our new building and what mission opportunities this will afford.

From Easter to Pentecost our services are being led by Revd Dr Andy Lyons, along with the two local preachers who are members of our Church, Rodney Ovenden and Kanley MHayle. We are focusing on the readings in the lectionary from The Acts of the Apostles that are all about the life of the early Church. Our Minister has provided us with some devotional materials to read during the week based on these passages. It is an interesting and good experience to have this sort of continuity to our worship. We continue to be blessed by a number of musicians who come to play the piano for us each Sunday.

The Inner-City Players put on a production of The Ragged Child just before Easter. This group, under the direction of Ursula Ovenden, has been going for 40 years. The standard of production for an amateur dramatics group is very good, and the children who take part are exceptional.

WELCOME REV. DR. ANDY LYONS

In the last quarter we have welcomed our new Minister, Rev. Dr. Andy Lyons, into the Church and Circuit. He tells us he is enjoying being with us and settling in well. He has led our Eucharist, preached to us and led our Harvest festival. We have experienced one Church Council meeting with him so far, and we look forward to continuing to get to know him and working with him.

Andy has been busy working with the architects and developers as we continue to plan for re-builds at both LMSM and at Vauxhall. He is also working hard with the Stewards and Treasurer to make sure that we are properly merged with the Circuit on all administration and finance matters. Andy has also taken up the role of District Presbyteral Secretary so is engaged with the London District in policy matters. In March we will host the District Presbyteral Synod.

We, at LMSM, are in preparation for Robes, the floating night shelter for homeless people. We would welcome any volunteers from Circuit Churches and ask you to contact Alice Omara who is heading up this work.

We are looking forward to Christmas. During Advent we will be having a study group meeting to help us in our preparations. All at LMSM wish all in the Circuit a Happy and Blessed Christmas.

LAMBETH MISSION

The Lambeth Mission has a proud history; set up by the first Methodists, converted by John Wesley himself when he preached at Kennington Common. Between the wars it was made famous by the energetic and forward-looking Minister Thomas Tiplady, author of the hymn as "Above the hills of time the cross is gleaming." Rev. Tiplady wanted to harness the new medium of film to the cause & collaborated with a Methodist Lay Preacher, J. Arthur Rank to produce wholesome films with a Christian message shown at the Mission. In 1807 there was a larger foundation on the site of the building today, after an eventful life it was destroyed finally by bombs in 1945 and was rebuilt in 1950.

In 1972, Church life was enhanced by the arrival of the Anglican Congregation from St Mary’s Lambeth - the Church by the Archbishop’s Palace, hence the name Lambeth Mission & St Mary’s. LMSM was until the dissolution in March 2016 part of a Methodist and Anglican LEP working with the North Lambeth Parish. The current Church membership is made up of a variety of Methodist and Anglican roots. Lambeth Mission was re-built with a big hall which has been a blessing for the continuation of a Ministry of Worship, Drama, Communal engagement with Senior Citizens, Youth work and provision of food and shelter for the homeless (i.e. Robes Project). Coffee Morning is every last Friday of the month where people drop by for coffee and a chat. Christian Aid activities are fully supported by the Circuit & North Lambeth community. A Traidcraft stall is run each Sunday on the Church premises.

Dcn. Marilyn Slowe has Pastoral responsibility of the Church, presently offers support to local people through lunch clubs, breakfast prayer meetings & has since 2013 laid on Christmas dinner for those who would otherwise be eating on their own, this initiative, including other projects have been well received. An Administrator & a Caretaker man the LMSM Church Office.

Vauxhall Mission is a class & Sunday morning worship takes place there once a month. An annual Wesley Day joint service is held at Vauxhall Mission after which the congregation shares in a meal. The Gay & Lesbian Christian Fellowship worships at Vauxhall Mission every first Sunday of the month.The two Churches, LMSM & VM - through their Mission-Giving Group donate a 10th of their annual offertory to carefully selected Charities in crucial need of financial support. Overthe years, the tradition of donating Christmas Day offertory to ‘Action for Children (formerly the National Children’s Homes) has been maintained.

Submitted by: Nancy Acquaah

EXCERPT FROM THE LONDON DISTRICT WEEKLY UPDATE

Reflection on the London District Calais Food AppealThe Appeal made at September Synod to Churches and Circuits was in response to an article that appeared on the Guardian Website (2nd September 2016). It reported that due to ’donor fatigue’ food was running out for the Calais Refugees. The appeal also fitted well with the theme of Synod celebrating the ‘pesky Methodists’ who had stood for Kingdom values throughout our history and in the first ten years of the London district.

There was certainly no ‘donor fatigue’ from modern-day pesky Methodists. Churches donated in their box loads and made the task of collecting all the contributions a far bigger task than we ever would have imaged. Only a couple of circuits did not respond. Some Churches used their annual harvest appeal, others had an additional collection due to wanting to honour prior commitments. People advertised the appeal on Social Media and in their work places and local communities. The total collected filled five long wheelbase transit vans. Monetary contributions were also made by individuals and churches totaling over £1700 which helped to fund the transport costs.

Without the help of volunteers, we would never had been able to get the donations from the churches to Calais. A massive Thank You goes to those who gave so generously, everyone at local church level who co-ordinated the appeal in their churches, those who liaised at a circuit level to arrange collection, volunteers who drove donations to Lambeth and all who helped sort, pack and load the vans and those who made the journeys to Calais.

A very special thanks, should go to Deacon Marilyn and members of Lambeth Mission who allowed their church hall to become a temporary food mountain! There was an outpouring of joy on Sunday 30th October when the final box was packed in the van and the stage was empty for the first time in weeks!

The first convoy to Calais took place on Monday October 17th setting off from London at 5:30am with three vans loaded to axle-breaking capacity amidst stories of food donations being turned away by French Authorities during the previous weeks. The three vans were allowed through and eventually found the warehouse only after becoming very well
acquainted with one particular roundabout in Calais!

The Calais volunteers were moved by three vans bearing so much food, as each set of back-doors were opened there were cries of ‘Wow!’ and then questions as to where this food had come from. As we answered the London Methodist Church we stood as representatives of that long line of pesky Methodist. We related our faith to real life. One volunteer welcomed us and declared he was a Christian and stated he found God here in this volunteer camp. ‘Most of these volunteers are not Christian’ he said, ‘but I find God in their love and compassion for and their understanding of others’

On Monday - 31st October the trip was repeated this time with two vans. In the intervening two weeks, the French Authorities had cleared ‘the Jungle’ and as we arrived at the warehouse (having got lost again!) we sensed a subdued undercurrent amongst the volunteers. We were greeted warmly and in good humour by some of the volunteers we had met on our previous visit.